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Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Catch-based fishing management could complement current methods

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, April 11, 2016) – New Zealand's Pacific ambassador, Shane Jones, says by encouraging a catch-based fisheries management system, his country is not advocating that other methods should go.

New Zealand is this week hosting about 40 fisheries ministers and officials where the virtues of its catch-based system will be extolled.

One organisation of Pacific fishing nations, the Parties to the Nauru Agreement, said its members were firmly committed to their Vessel Day Scheme, under which they sell fishing days to distant water fishing nations.

Mr Jones said he welcomed the financial success the PNA had in its purse seine fisheries and that New Zealand was supportive of that.

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Various contracts to address safety concerns in place

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, April 13, 2016) – The World Bank says it continues to work with Kiribati to upgrade its airports, following a controversial cancellation of flights from Fiji Airways.

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Claims given ‘special treatment’ by police

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, April 25, 2016) – A Cook Islands lawyer has filed a complaint with the Solicitor General about the police's handling of a motorcycle crash that involved the prime minister, Henry Puna.

In October 2014, Mr Puna collided with a motorcyclist when he failed to give way at a Rarotonga intersection. The other motorcyclist was hospitalised.

The Cook Islands News reports that in his complaint, lawyer Norman George said Mr Puna was not breath-tested until several hours after the incident, and alleges that he was given special treatment by the police.

Mr George, a former politican, said Mr Puna was given a 'pre-charge warning' by the police because it was a low-level incident, something Mr George said he had never encountered...

Instead, he has told the Fiji Sun newspaper that he will be going to the Queen's birthday celebrations in London.

The MSG summit in Port Vila is to revisit the appointment of Fiji's Amena Yauvoli as the new director general of the MSG secretariat.

Mr Yauvoli's selection was announced at the start of the month by Fiji's Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and later confirmed by the MSG chairman, Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare.

But the announcement was not welcomed by Vanuatu which refuses to accept it, while Papua New Guinea says no proper...

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Weekly service by Boeing 777, follows Tonga facility upgrade

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, April 4, 2016) – Air capacity into Tonga has increased with Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-200 touching down in the kingdom for the first time on Friday, signalling the start a weekly service.

Matangi Tonga reports the 312 seat aircraft will fly the Nuku'alofa-Auckland route increasing seat capacity by 33 percent as well as cargo uplift close to 40 percent.

Previously the route had been serviced by the Boeing 767-300.

Air NZ Chief Sales and Commercial Officer Cam Wallace said the introduction of the aircraft was good news for both customers and exporters.

Mr Wallace said as well as increasing seat capacity, Air NZ is also able to enhance the in-flight experience by introducing products like...

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Only one confirmed case, 18 possible, 4 probably cases

By Giff Johnson

MAJURO, Marshall Islands (Marianas Variety, April 11, 2016) – There has not been another confirmed case of the Zika virus in the Marshall Islands since the first one was documented on February 8.

Although there are suspected cases, none have yet been confirmed as Zika, and no suspected cases were identified over the past two weeks.

Besides setting up a tracking system for checking possible new cases at the Ministry of Health, a substantial effort has gone into community awareness raising by the ministry since the government declared a health emergency in late February.

A Zika update issued by the ministry Friday showed there were 18 "possible" and four "probable" cases since a case was confirmed by laboratory testing on February 8. The 18 "...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, April 13, 2016) – Attorney-General Ano Pala has been arrested and charged with abuse of office and misappropriating more than K3 million [US$947,000] in public funds.

Mr Pala, who is also Minister for Justice, is Member for Rigo in Central Province.

He was charged yesterday after arriving back in Port Moresby from Brisbane.

Mr Pala was met at Jackson International Airport by the police fraud squad at 2pm as he stepped off the plane and was taken to the National Fraud headquarters at Konedobu.

He was interviewed for five hours before being taken to Boroko police station where he was charged with 15 counts of abuse of...

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

National Council must promote, protect interests of local workers

By Eddie Osifelo

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, April, 5, 2016) – The National Secretary of the Solomon Islands National Council of Trade Unions (SICTU), Tony Kagovai has called on trade unions in the country to find ways to work together to promote and protect the interests of Solomon Islands workers.

Mr Kagovai made the call while welcoming the new elected President of Workers Union of Solomon Islands (WUSI).

"The trade unions are going to face increasingly challenges due to the fact that many of our institutions are not functioning as they were intended to work by foreign and national founding fathers," Mr Kagovai said.

One example of this, he said, is dealing with the confused messages coming out from the CEO of Solomon Islands Ports...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.